Murder Me Now by Annette Myers

This is the first introduction I have had to Olivia Brown and at times I like her, most of the time she strikes me as drunken slut that will sleep with anyone. 

Set in the Bohemian community of Greenwich Village during Prohibition little work is completed by anyone but a lot of gin is consumed.  Miss Brown is a poet, of some reckoning, that has a taste for drink.  The story opens and ends with drinking and in between is a murder, some mystery, cops, robbers, thugs, and gangs.

The writing is good, I just have no love of the characters.

I finished it six months after I bought it if that says anything about my feelings.

The Wizardof London by Mercedes Lackey

Children with certain talents must be trained and if their parents magical or psychic talents do not match with their offspring then they must send them to someone to train them, for the safety of all.

The Harton School is ran by just such a couple. Although it is in a seedy part of London the school itself is a haven for all who enter.  Sarah Jane Lyon-White comes from Africa and has an extra sense with the dead.  Nan comes from streets of London and has her own powerful abilities. Together they help to avoid disaster on the metaphysical plane.

An Elemental Masters novel that does a good job of introducing one to the world and contains characters that appear in other novels as well.

Legends edited by Robert Silverberg

Three short novels from Terry Goodkind, George R. R, Martin, and Anne McCaffrey are well written and provide a nice fantasy fix in small doses.

Each tell a full story and leave the reader wanting just a bit more information even though the story is complete.

Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton

Werewolf Jason needs to go home to his father that has only been given a few weeks to live.  Only problem is he really needs to take a woman to prove to his father that he is not gay.  His latest romance has just broken off so he is at lose ends.  Nathanial volunteers Anita and since Jason is her friend she agrees to go.

Things become really complicated when they arrive in Asheville to a feeding frenzy of media for a governor's son that Jason happens to look immensely alike.   It seems the gene pool in their community is not that varied.

As always there are vampires, weres, and a lot of other stuff going on.  This novel is back on track and interesting and I would recommend it.

Duck Commander by Willie Robertson

The first parts are funny and the last section has some good advice.  Willie and Corrie gave did some things right and other not so well but are willing to admit to mistakes.

Probably better if you like the show but anyone can gain from it.

Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey

Read this before and the first story is still not that good, the rest are okay. The last one is good, dressage as magic I can relate to well.

The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey

Fairy tales are actually much darker than what is presented by Disney and The Black Swan fills the criteria without being depressingly dark.

A group of women that have betrayed a trust or love are captured by a sorcerer to live as swans by day and women by moonlight.  The daughter of the sorcerer is their keeper while the magician searches the countryside for more unfaithful females. 

When given the chance to win her freedom the swan queen opens the eyes of the daughter, the question is will the new viewpoint be enough to save them all from becoming permanent birds.

Very good novel, follows the "rules" of magic and is not sugar coated.